Smartphone app for non-invasive detection of anemia using only patient-sourced photos

• Published in: Nature communications Vol. 9; no. 1; pp. 4924 - 10
• Main Authors: Mannino, Robert G., Myers, David R., Tyburski, Erika A., Caruso, Christina, Boudreaux, Jeanne, Leong, Traci, Clifford, G. D., Lam, Wilbur A.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: London Nature Publishing Group UK 04.12.2018; Nature Publishing Group; Nature Portfolio
• Subjects: 692/699/1541/13; 692/700/139; 692/700/1421; Anemia; Blood; Blood levels; Downloading; Fingernail; Hemoglobin; Humanities and Social Sciences; Laboratory tests; multidisciplinary; Remote monitoring; Science; Science (multidisciplinary); Smartphones; Viability
• ISSN: 2041-1723; 2041-1723
• DOI: 10.1038/s41467-018-07262-2

We introduce a paradigm of completely non-invasive, on-demand diagnostics that may replace common blood-based laboratory tests using only a smartphone app and photos. We initially targeted anemia, a blood condition characterized by low blood hemoglobin levels that afflicts >2 billion people. Our app estimates hemoglobin levels by analyzing color and metadata of fingernail bed smartphone photos and detects anemia (hemoglobin levels <12.5 g dL −1 ) with an accuracy of ±2.4 g dL −1 and a sensitivity of 97% (95% CI, 89–100%) when compared with CBC hemoglobin levels ( n  = 100 subjects), indicating its viability to serve as a non-invasive anemia screening tool. Moreover, with personalized calibration, this system achieves an accuracy of ±0.92 g dL −1 of CBC hemoglobin levels ( n  = 16), empowering chronic anemia patients to serially monitor their hemoglobin levels instantaneously and remotely. Our on-demand system enables anyone with a smartphone to download an app and immediately detect anemia anywhere and anytime. Anemia has a global prevalence of over 2 billion people and is diagnosed via blood-based laboratory test. Here the authors describe a smartphone app that can estimate hemoglobin levels and detect anemia by analyzing pictures of fingernail beds taken with a smartphone and without the need of any external equipment.